EU set to designate Iran’s IRGC as terrorist organization

Spain, Italy and France reverse opposition amid reports of mass killings of Iranian protesters.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The European Union is expected to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization on Thursday, when EU foreign ministers convene to vote on the move.

The decision follows a sharp shift by several key member states — Spain, Italy and France — which had previously opposed the designation but have now reversed course amid mounting evidence of large-scale killings of Iranian protesters.

Opposition sources claim that more than 40,000 demonstrators have been killed in recent weeks.

On Monday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that he would formally propose the designation, “as well as individual sanctions against those responsible for these heinous acts” because the civilian losses “demand a clear response.”

France joined the call on Wednesday, accusing the IRGC of orchestrating the “unbearable repression of the peaceful uprising of the Iranian people.”

The people’s “extraordinary courage…in the face of the blind violence unleashed upon them cannot be in vain,” said Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Spanish media reported that Madrid has also confirmed it will vote in favor of the designation.

The European Parliament had passed a resolution to designate the IRGC a terrorist organization as early as January 2023, following the brutal crackdown on nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, a young Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly and then murdered while in custody.

Until recently, Rome, Paris and Madrid cited alleged legal obstacles, including the need for a prior European court ruling against the IRGC.

Critics countered that such a ruling already exists: a German court found in December 2023 that the IRGC was behind an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in Bochum the previous year.

Opponents of the designation have also argued that it could lead Tehran to sever diplomatic ties.

However, this did not occur after countries including Australia, Canada, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

The US, which put the state-backed group on its FTO list in 2019 citing its role in coordinating global terrorist activity, has had no diplomatic relations with Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution..

Once designated by the EU, membership in the IRGC would become illegal across the bloc, exposing members to arrest and prosecution.

The move would also trigger asset freezes and financial restrictions, significantly constraining the organization’s ability to operate in Europe.